What is a Soothsayer in the Bible?
If you’ve ever wondered what a soothsayer was, this article can help you find out. In the Bible, there are several examples of soothsayers. Kasam, Rab-mag, and Balaam are all examples. These men had unusual abilities and were respected by the Israelites.
Balaam was a soothsayer
The Bible describes Balaam as a soothsayer. He was a prophet of God. He was the son of Beor. He was killed by Israel. Some believe that the demons made him perform sorcery. However, the Bible says that he used dreams, auguries, and omens.
Scholars speculate that Balaam was a descendant of a line of diviners. His name translates as “destruction,” “destroyer,” and “burner.” Consequently, he may have been aware of the customs of the people of Israel.
The bible also mentions that Balaam had the ability to foretell the future. This is the basis for the popular belief that “soothsayers are cursed.” However, the Bible does not say that Balaam was cursed. Instead, he was cursed by God and killed.
King Balak of Moab, the leader of Moab, sent the world’s greatest soothsayer to curse the Israelites. He had heard of the great things that God had done for Israel, and wanted the best soothsayer possible to stand up against the great powers of God. The curse would prevent God from parting the Red Sea, raining manna from heaven for 38 years, and finding water in the desert. Despite the threat of God’s curse, King Balak agreed to give all his wealth to Balaam and his followers.
Balaam was a descendant of a famous family of diviners. His family cursed people for generations. They even gave their sons names that suited their trade, such as “Burning” and “Devourer.” This family’s reputation spread throughout the region, and people sent them to the family to curse someone.
Kasam
Kasam is the Hebrew word for a soothsayer, which Moses uses in De 18:10-11 to refer to an art called nekromancy. This type of divination entailed the use of dead bodies and rituals to raise the dead. Some of these practices involved arrows, teraphim, and the entrails of beasts.
Biblical soothsayers were also called gazerin, which means a person who interprets astrological portents. In the Sept. version, gazerin was also called ashpym and sept. Gazarenoi, which are both Greek words for soothsayer. Despite the differences between the two words, the Septuagint and Vulg. both describe a soothsayer as a professional in the occult arts.
Interestingly enough, Balaam is the only soothsayer in the Bible who is called a soothsayer in the Old Testament. His predictions of a rosy future for Israel are rejected by Balak. Nevertheless, he warned the Moabite king that he should not go beyond the word of the LORD, for fear of cursing the nation.
The term soothsayer is actually a combination of lachash and kosem, meaning to whisper magical formulas. Both words are related to sibilare, a Hebrew word meaning “serpent.” In the Bible, kosem refers to the soothsayer who masters the black art.
Rab-mag
The word magi is first used in the Bible in the book of acts when Simon the magos sought to buy the holy spirit from the Apostles. After being turned down by the Apostles, he fled to Rome and became an influential man in the Church of Rome. This word derives from the Hebrew word ra-mag, meaning soothsayer.
Rab-mag, also known as the enchanter, was the chief soothsayer of Nebuchadnezzar’s train. This word is a loanword from the Sumerian language, where it was known as Dl. The term soothsayer also has other names, including enchanter, sorcerer, and time observer.
The name Rab-mag appears in many places in the Bible. Many versions render it as Nergal-sharezer or Rab-saris, but it is commonly understood as Rab-mag. In the book of Nebuchadnezzar, all the chief officials of Babylon sat in the Middle Gate.